Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Turntable
Raising the Bar for Tables Under $500, Now Ships with the Award-Winning Ortofon 2M Red
"In the ways that analog trumps digital, I'm confident the
Carbon will sonically outperform any cheap CD player, particularly in
terms of musical flow and general warmth. Pair it with a Bellari tubed phono preamp
and play the combo for a kid weaned on MP3s and he or she is likely to
start bawling. Literally. The sense of depth and spaciousness plus the
image stability is impressive. Most highly recommended. I don't know
what else comes close for $399."
– Michael Fremer, Stereophile
Pro-Ject's innovative Debut line redefined what an affordable turntable could deliver. Pro-Ject has now once again challenged convention with the Debut Carbon, offering even better performance at an accessible price. The
upgrades over the Debut III are numerous, including the addition of an 8.6" completely carbon fiber tonearm
that increases stiffness while decreasing unwanted resonances. This results in a higher fidelity presentation of your
treasured recordings. Fitted to the carbon fiber arm is a true high-end cartridge, the 2M Red by Ortofon. This
arm/cartridge combination is quite capable of exceptional tracking and recovery of the musical nuance found
within the records grooves. This excellent upgrade takes this analog package to a higher performance level.
"The Debut Carbon nails the basics: dynamic shading and speed
constancy. The essentials of what we call 'rhythm and pace' are
impressive. Whether for first-time turntable buyers or anyone wishing to
enjoy high-quality LP playback without spending a lot of money,
Pro-Ject's Debut Carbon is a great way to go."
– Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound
The attractive, piano-gloss finished, resonance-reducing MDF plinth supports a heavier and wider diameter low-resonance platter for smoother rotation and lower wow and flutter. Additionally, a felt record mat is employed for
superior record support and decoupling. The Debut Carbon's platter and plinth assembly sits upon four-point “O”-ring feet
designed for energy absorption and the plinth-mounted motor is isolated by a new Sorbothane suspension,
keeping unwanted noise and vibration to a bare minimum, while the chassis-mounted RCA output jacks allow for the use
of higher quality interconnects for even better sonic performance.
"We were surprised by the solid performance of this 12.3-pound turntable...once
isolated, it delivers smooth highs, accurate mids, and full lows, even through reference headphones."
– Victor Krummenacher, Wired
The Ortofon 2M Red is an evolution and an update of Ortofon's best-selling OM Series of Moving Magnet cartridges. The 2M body,
generator and stylus profile have all been greatly improved and this
great budget cartridge integrates 21st century technology in an
affordable package. The 2M series of cartridges feature Ortofon’s trademark
split pole pins, an invention which enables moving magnet cartridges to
have flat frequency response, just like a moving coil cartridge. Ortofon invented the Split pole pin technology and were originally offered in the 500 series and Super OM series. The 2M Red uses an improved engine, which provides an increased output of 5.5mV. The 2M Red features a tipped elliptical diamond.
"[The Debut Carbon is] a fantastic place to start an analog crush, as it does a superb job
with fundamentals. Moreover, when used in concert with modest gear, it
provides musicality that MP3 players and inexpensive CD players cannot
match. Yes, this 'table is all you need to get hooked on analog. Hence,
we are thrilled to give the Carbon an Exceptional Value Award for 2012. A
snap to set up, it offers fantastic performance and an easy upgrade
path."
– Tone Audio
Features:
- 8.6" carbon tonearm
- Increased platter size with more weight
- Precision belt drive with synchronous motor
- New Sorbothane motor suspension
- Felt mat
- Ortofon 2M Red cartridge
- 7 High-gloss colors available